» Articles from October 2006
Property Rights and Wrongs (3)
A thoughtful opinion on property rights from LTV Member Sam Pratt, former head of Friends of Hudson.
New Jersey Town Buys Open Land to Reduce Taxes
A report from the New Jersey Times on a town that spent $11.5 million to buy an open tract of land rather than burden residents with the much higher property taxes that would result from a proposed development on the parcel. Care of LTV reader Jock Spivy of Kinderhook.
Property Rights and Wrongs (2)
Zoning Restrictions May Increase Property Values, My Letter Argues
Download Property Rights and Wrongs
Shades of Green
The Millerton News recently ran a three-part series on developer Douglas Durst’s vision for a “master planned vacation community” on the 2,200-acre Carvel property in the northern Dutchess County towns of Pine Plans and Milan.
The News, official paper of the Town of Pine Plains, also ran a full-page add from Mr. Durst and his family, assuring their “dear neighbors” that the 951-home subdivision would generate net property tax revenues for the surrounding school district and towns and would be a “green” development designed to “maintain the rural character of the area.”
We are reprinting two letters to the newspaper’s editor that challenge Mr. Durst’s claims and urge town planning officials to consider the more likely case that the development will destroy, not preserve, the Carvel property’s natural environment and that it will lead to a dramatic and permanent increase in property taxes. The first letter comes from Becky Thornton, President of the Dutchess Land Conservancy; the second letter
is a brief summary of my own research.
We have also reprinted, with the paper’s permission, a copyrighted editorial the News ran in response to the Durst proposal, the largest one of many now under review in our towns that would, if approved, drag the region a long way down the road to suburbanization and create a huge burden on property tax payers.
Town of Union Vale Fiscal Impact Study
If you want to dig deeper into the link between residential development and rising property taxes, this is a great place to start. Penned by The LA Group out of Saratoga in 2000.
Impact Fees Fund Florida Schools
Developers in south Florida are required to pay up to $10,000 per new house to help cover the cost of providing school services to new residents. Courtesy of LTV Member and Stanfordville resident Elaine Dobie.
Some impact fees in Florida run as high as $25,000 per new house. For more on impact fees see “Making An Impact.”)